THIRTY-FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 293 



BUILDING GOOD HERD. 



ADDRESS AT STATE FARMERS' INSTITUTE. 



By 



Mr. Chas. Foss, Treasurer Illinois Dairymen's Association. 



Professor Fraser has told us that about one-fourth of the 

 cows in Illinois are kept at a loss, and that the best one-fourth 

 return a profit of $30 per cow per annum. 



There is, certainly, a vast difference between keeping a cow 

 at a loss and keeping one at a profit of $30. But why do we 

 keep a cow that does not produce a profit at all? Simply be- 

 cause we cannot always distinguish the poor cow from the good 

 one. Too many dairy men are content if their herds return a 

 small profit while, if they would sell the low producers, the 

 profits of the herd could be materially increased. 



We have too many poor cows in our herds who are con- 

 suming the profits of the good cows and thereby reducing the 

 profits of the entire herd. It is possible that all the cows in 

 Illinois be made to yield a profit of $30 per cow instead of only 

 one- fourth of them. This may seem high to be reached by all the 

 dairymen of Illinois, but it can be done if the dairymen only 

 wake up to the situation. 



In order to accomplish this, we must weed out the poor 

 cows. Feed the good cows a balanced ration, and breed for bet- 

 ter cows by heading our herds with the best sires obtainable. 



How can we detect the poor cows in our herds ? 



Is it possible to distinguish a good cow from a poor one 

 by outward appearance? Not always. There is but one ab- 

 solutely reliable way and that is by using the scales and the Bab- 



